Ostracism Experiences Are Associated With More Frequent Doctor Visits Over Time

Abstract

Background: Individuals generally see doctors to get physically well, with potential benefits but also costs. We investigate ostracism (feeling ignored and excluded) as one possible factor for frequently seeing doctors. Aims: We test three different conceptual accounts: (1) Ostracism may impact health through stress and social pain processes (i.e., sickness account). (2) Seeing doctors may satisfy psychological needs that are typically threatened by ostracism, constituting a way of coping (i.e., coping account). (3) In the reverse direction, individuals who see doctors more frequently may be ostracized out of health stigmatization (i.e., stigmatization account). Method. Ostracism experiences, number of doctor visits, and medical diagnoses were assessed in a longitudinal, nationally representative panel survey of German adults (N = 2,001, two waves). Results: In cross-lagged panel analyses, ostracism predicts more frequent doctor visits 3 years later, even when controlling for medical diagnoses, suggesting doctor visits as a way of coping with ostracism. Number of medical diagnoses, but not doctor visits, longitudinally predict ostracism reports, potentially as an expression of health stigmatization. Limitations: The present results have been accrued in one context (Germany). We used retrospective recall of doctor visits, although we do not expect systematic recall biases based on ostracism experiences that could have altered the results. Conclusion: Ostracism leads to more frequent health care utilization. We conclude that seeing doctors more frequently may be a response to ostracism and call for efforts to develop ostracism-specific treatments and interventions.